Legislation could force fluoridation on Byron

BYRON Shire Council may be forced to fluoridate its water if legislation introduced to parliament yesterday by the NSW Opposition gains bipartisan support - a move that Rous Water estimates would save NSW taxpayers $1.4 million, and local ratepayers $150,000 a year.

Introduced by Opposition Health spokesman Dr Andrew McDonald, the new bill would empower the NSW Health Minister to order water authorities to fluoridate their public water supplies.

Byron Shire Council is now the last Rous Water member council not to fluoridate, so the NSW Government must fund $2.7 million to build several small dosing plants to deliver fluoride elsewhere without contaminating Byron's supply.

But Rous Water general manager Kyme Lavelle said if fluoridation of Byron's water was mandatory, building dosing facilities at the existing treatment plants at Rocky Creek and Emigrant Creek dams would cost $1.3 million (versus $2.7 million), and halve the annual maintenance cost.

"We would be carrying out the necessary fluoridation at a much lesser cost and within a much quicker timeframe," he said.

Byron Shire mayor Simon Richardson said it was "no surprise" the state had stepped in.

"It's disappointing that those who have reservations to fluoride have been labelled some sort of extremist hysterical fringe," he said.

"I think they are as informed; they're just not supported by large companies whose interest it is to dump their fluoride in our water system."

Byron Shire Council is planning to hold a forum to debate the pros and cons of fluoridation.